The Sky's Tears and Smiles I: Hourglass of Time
by Turtle.Lovee
Summary: He knew that there was a reason for him to be born. So why does he feel incomplete? What was his purpose for being here? Two beings are here to show him why and help him become the Vongola Decimo that he was destined to become. "Black and White"
1. Just Who Am I

**Disclaimer**: We do not own KHR and nor we will in the future.

_Previously known as Black and White_

* * *

The bathroom was poorly lit because the lights had been turned off. The only source of light was the moon, since it barely made its way through the closed window. The illuminated light reflected along the walls and the mirror as it gave the whole room a solemn atmosphere.

In the room, there was a male. He had just finished showering. To be more exact, he did not even bother and just stood there, looking at the wall in front of him. The room was humid, giving the room a misty glaze. He was still dripping wet like he was when he had originally come out of the tub. He stood in front of the mirror. A puddle of water was forming beneath his feet as water slipped off from his body.

His two thin fingers trailed the outline of his chin on the steamed mirror as he stared at himself with barely any emotions beside disappointment and annoyance as the exceptions. The untamed chocolate brown locks of hair. The chocolate brown eyes tinted with a hidden shade of dark orange. All these traits, he inherited them from his mother, yet barely any traits of his father were seen.

His eyes trailed down the outline of his thin body in the steamed mirror, just stopping right above the white towel wrapped around his slightly toned hips. He was short for the average Japanese male but slightly taller than the average Japanese female. It was all because his growth spurt had not kicked in yet. Along with the growth spurt, he did have the forming angular features a male should have around his age but rather feminine ones.

Sawada Tsunayoshi, or Tsuna, for short. That was his name. He was literally known for being notoriously stupid and clumsy, therefore, earning the nickname, "Dame-Tsuna," along with several others. He was constantly being bullied or pushed around, lectured by teachers for being a failure, happening to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and falling over the so-called invisible objects. People thought the boy was naturally born with bad luck.

Not that he could argue with them. He had already given up trying to prove them wrong a long time ago. Now, all he could do was defend himself halfheartedly. He had wondered how come he had not crack violently under such treatment for so long. Was there a reason? Was there some kind of lingering hope in himself that he did not know of or was it something else? He did not know except for the fact that he was not special in the eyes of many people.

He growled at the weak image standing before him. He knew, deep inside, that this was him, but at the same time, it was not. Just who was he? There was no sense of identity within him but a majority of people around him appeared to have created a figment of himself in their minds, a part of him that have seen yet not all of him was there.

As soon as the steam cleared away from the mirror and he was able to see himself more distinctly, his small fist made contact with the fragile object. The skin had cracked when it made sudden contact with the hard surface. Small shards of glass scattered around the while sink beneath. Thin streams of crimson color were dripping into the sink bowl through the newly formed scratches and cuts.

Looking at himself was tiring enough and it never did satisfy him to see such a pathetic creature in front of himself. He was indeed a hypocrite. He chuckled quietly at the thought. He was one of those pathetic creatures that he disliked. He could not help it. It was probably one of the main reasons why he chose to stand afar from other people. How could he like others if he could barely look at himself in the eye?

He looked at the shattered mirror once again. It was full of cracks and some pieces were missing. He quietly laughed at the symbolism he saw in the now-useless object. He was just like the broken mirror. Who was going to use him if he was just broken? Who was going to place back the missing pieces of his being? Who was going to see past the wall that surrounded him? Who was going to fix him? Just who?

He slid the bathroom door open. Turning around, he silently slid it closed as he left a trail of blood behind him. The color was invisible to his eyes as he slowly slipped on his undergarments, still wet. Next, he slid on a pair of sleeping pants of dark blue color. Slowly, his dead-panned expression started to crack as he fell to his knees onto the ground.

Why was he like this? There was no need to answer. He already knew the reason why. He was just acting as a pathetic creature. He was a puppet for other to use and possess.

He could actually defend himself and fight back. He could have come home without bruises black and blue over his body. So why did he let people bully him and push him around? His reason? He did not want to hurt others and indirectly hurt others.

He was actually an intelligent being. He was smart enough to be above average but not to the point to make it on the honor roll. So why did he let his teachers lecture him? Why did he let them call him a failure? His reason? There was no use. No one would believe him if he said that when he was small, people would take his paper and claim it for themselves. No one would believe him after seeing his grades on his transcript. They would think he was a cheater and whatnot. He did not want to use the little energy he had to fight back the new insults.

So why was he at the wrong places at the wrong time? His reason? So he could help others escape by serving as a distraction. It only mattered to him that the other would escape than watch them be hurt, even if they have hurt him in the past. Though, there were times he had hoped for a "thank you" in return. Since there was no "thank you," he guessed no one wanted to believe that they were saved by "Dame-Tsuna."

He was not even clumsy. He did have coordination. So why do people believe he was clumsy? His reason? The so-called invisible objects were the pushes, the trips, the bumps, and many more. He was an object that allowed people to vent out pent up emotions at.

He took all the pain of others. He did not even know why he was doing such a thing? Was it his purpose or something? To take the pain of others onto himself? If so, why?

He slammed his fits against the wet floor beneath him. He ignored the added pressure applied on his injured hand. His back was hunched over and trembling. Tears fell from his clenched eyes. He tried to hold it in. He knew that he had to let out before he killed himself. After all, he held no meaning if he had no purpose. Ironically, he knew that he had deeper purpose set for him. But will that purpose kill him? Or will he kill himself of what would become of him in the end?

* * *

**Authors' Notes:**

So what did you think of it? We had to rewrite it over and over again, since it felt incomplete. Anyway, it looks we will be updating weekly or anytime we're free from homework. (Thank you, teachers. Giving us juniors homework over winter break.)

We tried to go with a darker path since we both kind of pessimistic and what not. I guess we're going to devote our whole time on this, and then start on the prequel to this story after this story is done. By the looks of the poll, it looks like people want the Future and Shimon Arc included. If so, then this story will be in three parts: Varia, Future, and Shimon. But the results is not final yet, so wait until then.

Please review and look forward to the next chapter.


	2. Why the Cloud Chose to Stay Away

Erected from the ground and towering towards the skies, the majority of the school's buildings stood tall with several stories overlooking its campus but not as tall to overlook the entire town. The walls were originally coated a yellow color. However, after many years of being occupied, it dulled in color. Located in the back was an area for students to use before or after school for extra-curricular activities. Its most distinct feature was the clock tower that stood tall on the main building as it faced towards the main gates. Many students have entered and exited the school. Some even came out as some of the most powerful human beings on the face of the Earth. That fact was not going to change for years to come. The magnificent structure was named Namimori Gakuen.

* * *

Tsuna sighed, a sign of his annoyance. He seriously did not have the energy to go to school especially after what had happened over the past weekend. He never even wanted to go to school in the first place. But there were a certain amount of days he had to attend and were allowed to miss during the school year. Reluctantly, he went because he did not want to worry his mother, who had been taking care of him single-handedly while his father was away working, doing some "odd" job.

* * *

Like always, she did not question the bandages wrapped around his right hand whenever she saw him with them. She already knew the reason. They both knew so they did not question each other. She would always smile at him, never making him feel like a failure of a son but rather an important person she held close to her heart. She was one of the main reasons why he had not cracked, especially not after that promise he made to her.

There was that one time though. She had caught him punching the mirror. Right at the moment his fist made contact the object, the door was flung open. Her reaction? The spatula in her hand had clattered on the ground as her eyes and mouth widened at the sight. She was silent. Her eyes soon hid behind her auburn brown bangs. Her breathing had stopped but it resumed when her voice wavered. "W-Why?"

It was a simple question. He had not exactly comprehended the fact that his mother caught him hurting himself. He looked at her plainly, his eyes dead of any emotion. His response was simple. It was a way to release his pent up emotions.

She immediately rubbed away the forming tears from her eyes and pushed him out the bathroom in a hurry. She mumbled something about the first aid kit, being placed in the cabinet below the phone.

Tsuna had trembled at the slight breeze in the house and sat on his legs when he realized what had happened. He turned around to comfort his mother, thinking of anything to say to soothe image she just saw. Sadly, his hand fell to his side before he slid the door open. He could hear her cry her heart out. Deep down inside, he knew his mother knew that this was going on for awhile already. There would be days when she would come into the bathroom with a broken mirror covered in some dry blood and she would never question him if he knew about it.

Eventually, it was how their bond became over the course of his years during middle school; detached but comforting. She knew that she could not stop him from doing certain things. She had to stop babying him since he was slowly becoming a man. He knew that too. She would only offer a silent hand only in times of need, wanting him to only lean on her for support when he really needed it. It was an unspoken rule between the two.

There was also another reason why she did not worry over her son constantly. Ever since that incident, she knew the reasons why her husband was gone most of the time. She also knew that her son was likely to follow in her husband's footsteps. She was just preparing him when he would eventually leave her side. It was her way of raising him.

_Don't be afraid to cry behind people's back. _

_Don't hide your emotions. _

_Don't forget I'm here._

_

* * *

_

Rearranging the fallen strap of his school bag on top of his shoulder, he took a single step into the school grounds. His foot stopped in mid-air. He was contemplating whether he should run for it, ditch for the day, or not. Even if he did not want to worry his mother, he hoped she would understand why he would do such a "delinquent" act. He had a few minutes to think since the shrill ring of the bell had not rung yet.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi." A male, an upperclassman, walked towards Tsuna's direction. "Are you going to come in or not?" The echo of his footsteps moved in rhythm with the end of his heels barely scraping against the ground as he neared the boy. Hidden amusement was seen in his eyes as he leaned against the school gates.

"HIEEE!" Tsuna jumped at the sound the male's voice. He turned around slowly and saw the head of the Namimori Gakuen Disciplinary Committee. "H-Hibari-san!" He tried to soothe the rapid beating of his heart by patting it down. After all these years together, he was still scared of him. Seriously, he felt like his heart was going jump right out of his chest.

The head perfect was named Hibari Kyouya, a known and fearsome person in Namimori. Even outsiders coming in to visit knew to back away from the male whether he was in a bad mood or not. Raven locks of hair sat down nicely upon his head. His bangs formed a small v-shape right between his eyes, grabbing attention towards them. His eyes, his most distinctive feature, colored with steel blue held a predatory shine in them. Besides that, he was known for only wearing his uniform and his badge. Only on rare occasions would people see him in anything else.

Hibari walked over to Tsuna. His eyes narrowed as they scanned the area for anyone coming in or visible withing the premises. When he saw and sensed there was no one, he stopped in front of Tsuna and looked down at him. He bonked the poor boy on the head with his beloved tonfa lazily. "You know that I don't like it whenever you act like I'm going to bite you to death." He looked at the boy to see if the boy stopped shaking fear.

Tsuna winced at the action, rubbing his head where the steel weapon met his head. He nervously laughed but replied. "You always say that to people who break the rules though, Kyou–" Before he could finish, a hiss escaped his lips when Hibari roughly grabbed his injured hand. It added unneeded pressure on his wound.

"Again?" Hibari returned his tonfa back to its place and resumed analyzing the bandages around the boy's hand. "Why are you such an herbivore, Sawa–" His eyes widened when the hand within his grasp was yanked away from him. When he looked at the boy, the boy was glaring at him.

"Shut up, Kyouya! I don't need to be told that you see me like those other people!" Hands clasped over his mouth the moment the words escaped his mouth. His eyes widened and looked up at Hibari. He had snapped at Hibari. Fear enveloped his mind as he just stood there.

He had just glared at Hibari. He had just told Hibari to shut up. He had defied Hibari.

Tsuna had no idea what came over him. All he saw in the perfect's face was sheer shock etched in his face. "I… I…" He bolted towards the building. He knew that if he said anything else, Hibari would misunderstand. He did not want to lose a friend.

Hibari stared at the spot where Tsunayoshi had just yelled at him. He was completely filled with shock. No, it was not because Tsunayoshi yelled at him but because of what he said that made the boy react that way. He wanted be beat himself up. Yes, he would do that. Why? He would rather hurt herbivores who did not know their place and Tsunayoshi was definitely not one of them. Tsunayoshi would never raise his voice against him which told him how much of a blow it was for the boy. He just insulted the very person that drove him away from his depression. He had broken his promise…

His thoughts were soon interrupted when he saw students trying or attempting to jump over the closed school gates. His emotions running in different directions just told him to focus on these kids who had just broken the rules. He would talk to Tsunayoshi later, even if it meant he had put down his own pride to do it. Now, he had to focus on performing his duties.

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

_Young Hibari scowled at the crowding of adults shifting about in the room next door. He could see their shadows past the paper thin walls. He could see their lips move with false words of sympathy and pity. He already knew that they were just here to gain favor in his father's eyes after his mother's death: to catch him in his moment of weakness. Almost everyone did not approve of his father's marriage with his mother. _

"_Poor child. I wonder how Takeo-san is going to take care of his child."_

"_I know, right? The boy is only nine years old. Is it too much for a male in his prime to be looking after a child? Does that child even understand what's going on?"_

"_How should I know? He's only a nine year old. He probably thinks his mother ran away or something. Maybe it's better to let him think that way than to let him know that his mother passed away."_

_Hibari almost let his growl be heard as people gossiped about his mother. They knew nothing about the cause of her death. He did. She was in the hospital for the past year. She had been suffering from her illness and a fatal knife wound. He wanted to spat in their faces but he held back. He knew his mother would not want that so he just them let talk. Deep down, he decided that these people wanted to die by his hands. Why? They were soiling his mother's good name on her funeral day. _

"_But haven't you noticed? That boy hasn't shed a single tear yet. Now that I think about, I haven't seen Takeo-san shed a tear either."_

"_You can't be thinking that Takeo-san did not love his wife. Then again, they did elope. So maybe he just married her because of the child?"_

_Hibari had enough and stood up to walk towards the door. He slid it open and started walking hastily towards the door next door. Whispers of their gossips slowly angered him as he tried not to break down his Japanese styled home. Before his small hand could grab the door, a larger one had beaten him to it. Hibari turned around and looked at his father with questioning eyes. _

"_They'll regret what they say later. Just let them be. They happen to be herbivores." His father's tone began to rise as anger filled each note. "Weaklings, all of them. Crowding and talking about useless stuff. Too afraid to do anything." _

_Hibari nodded and walked back to his room. His image of his father's face was still intact in his mind. There was a heavy look in the man's eyes. There were bangs underneath those dark brown eyes. His raven locks were ruffled, untamed, and tangled from days of neglect. He was crying. His father was crying. The great Hibari Takeo was mourning for the loss of his wife, his loved one. _

_He had entered his room and walked to his bed. He laid down on his bed. He just stared at the ceiling and reflected on what his father had told him. _

People were herbivores.

Herbivores were weaklings.

People were weaklings.

They were animals that liked to mingle and talk.

Because they liked to mingle and talk, they liked to crowd.

Animals, that liked to crowd, did not know their place.

They mingled because they were afraid to do anything alone.

They were afraid because they were an herbivore.

Herbivores were scared of carnivores.

_Hibari sat up and his mind was made up. If everyone was like that, then he would become a carnivore. He did not need to listen to the herbivores anymore. They would be too afraid of him, too afraid to get close to him. That way he would not have to hear their heartless talks and hurtful betrayals…_

_He would bite them to death if they dared to step out of their place.

* * *

_

**Authors' Notes: **

Seeing how Hibari and Tsuna don't really have a connection and it seems like Hibari just wants to be there for the heck of it, we thought we might add something to link them Hibari's father's name is Takeo but we just chose the name because we had no idea what it was because we don't think his name was ever mentioned. We hope it doesn't make Hibari OOC. That would be bad...

Please review and tell us what you thought of it.


	3. Mosquito's Exception

Tsuna could not focus on the lesson written on the chalkboard. It did not help when the class was learning about the fundamentals of some algebraic formula. Even if he wanted to focus, his mind could not comprehend all the complicated terms of the foreign language and just got lost in the lecture. He blamed the person teaching it. It looked like he had to teach himself when he got home.

After getting a slight headache from listening to the teacher talk, his mind wandered off to the clouds. A small sad smile formed on his lips as a group of clouds slowly dispersed from one another, letting the rays of the sun touch the school. He turned away from the window and once again tried to focus on the boring lesson. Why is it that every time he runs into a problem with someone, he always thinks about that person? Now, he was thinking about Hibari. He knew the perfect was out looking for him and would continue to look for him after school, an encounter he did not want to happen. A sigh escaped his mouth in defeat. Unfortunately, it happened to be the wrong thing to do at the moment, since the teacher had been calling on him and he had not respond.

A piece of white chalk was chucked at him, hitting him squarely in the forehead. Once the object left his head, Tsuna had just registered what happened. "Itai!" He winced at the sudden pain and rubbed his new injury. Okay, it did not really hurt him that much but his self-esteem was pretty much damaged and the snickers of laughter around him did not help him either. He did what he usually does, act useless. His eyes looked up slowly, only to meet his teacher's angry gaze. The man was standing right in front of him, tapping his foot in impatience. Tsuna had one thought running through his head, _HIEEE!_

"Sawada, pay attention in class and stop daydreaming!" His teacher looked at him. After giving him one final glare, the man walked back up the chalkboard. His little snide remark along the way made Tsuan clench his fists until they turned into an unhealthy color of white.

"What kind of pathetic mother would want to keep that kind of child? Is she stupid or something?"

He was in shock but his eyes narrowed. "Keep my mother out of this," Tsuna sharply replied. His whisper was barely heard except for the student sitting behind him, causing the fellow to frown slightly. Tsuna could feel himself slowly becoming eruptive with anger. He had to hold it in. This was not the place to vent out his anger. As another output of dealing with his current situation, the boy started to jot down death threats into his notebook. He continued to glare at his teacher. Unknown to him, his death threats were slowly becoming audible as well as his eyes slowly changing into a crimson-like brown.

* * *

Yanagi Saitou stopped lecturing as his voice trailed off and slowly looked at Sawada with slightly fear-filled eyes. Why did he feel that he should be scared of the brat? He eyed the boy but his head was down and his hand was strangely jotting down notes. Shaking his head, he continued to write on the chalkboard. However, he had a feeling someone was glaring daggers at him, wanting him to drop dead or somewhere along those lines. Throughout the whole lesson, he could not help but feel someone or something was out to get him for his little comment.

He kept thinking it was Sawada that was making him feel uneasy. It was later confirmed when Sawada suddenly stood up from his assigned seat and left the classroom abruptly with his notebook in hand. Yanagi, a bit confused and angry, ran after his student but he stopped following the boy when Sawada turned around and all he saw darkness swirling in those eyes. He kept his mouth shut as Sawada rounded the corner and down the stairs towards what seemed to be the infirmary.

When he reentered the room, he could feel his students' curious eyes attached on him. That was not what bugged him though. The daggers that he felt were no longer there. Instead, it was replaced by sharp needles. The intent was still there but not as severe.

"Yanago-sensei, what's wrong with Sawada-san?" A girl with light auburn hair with matching eyes looked up at him with a worried expression weaved into her facial features.

He looked down at the person who asked the unexpected question: Sasagawa Kyoko. "Uh… Sawada didn't say anything but he looked unwell so it looked like he was headed towards the infirmary."

"Oh, okay…" Kyoko looked away from her teacher, a bit confused by her teacher's explanation. She turned toward her teacher to say something, but someone had beaten her to it.

"Isn't it because you made him mad, Yanagi-sensei? I could've sworn that I heard you comment about his mom."

_Yamamoto Takeshi… Yamamoto Takeshi was speaking up for Dame-Tsuna… _

The tall boy with short raven locks with strong brown eyes, fueled with determination, had a smile on his face. "I kept on hearing him say something like keep your thoughts to yourself or was it keep people who are not in this, out of it?" There was a confused look on his face, as he scratched the back of his head.

Yanagi looked at the school's star baseball player. _Did Sawada actually say something like that? Wait, is this kid mocking me? Because it looks like that smile is mocking me!_ "I-I do not recall saying anything about his mother." His voice wavered at first but remained firm.

"Really? I thought I heard you say something like what kind of mother would keep him. Am I wrong?" That ridiculous smile was still on Yamamoto's face yet there was something amiss in the shine in his eyes.

Yanagi bit his lips. So the kid did hear him. He could feel the palms of his fists slowly becoming warmer because of the invisible tension. Did he mention it was getting hot? If not, it was definitely getting hot. This boy was testing him and his authority as teacher without even knowing it. If this was truly a battle, then he was not going to step down. "Yamamoto Takeshi, I do not want to hear anymore accusations coming out of that mouth of yours. If you're not going to stop and start spreading false ideas to your fellow classmates, then I would personally go talk to your coach. I don't think he would like when he hears that you're failing my class."

Yamamoto did not act like Yanagi thought he would. The boy chuckled as he lifted his hands in the air as an act of surrender. "Haha. Wow, you're getting so defensive all of a sudden. I was just stating what I thought I heard. I never really said that you actually said that." His face scrunched as if he was trying to remember something. His fist was suddenly held in his hand, as a small apologetic smile on his face. "Aw, then again, I think I heard something like that last night on T.V. Sorry about that, _Yanagi-sensei_." His eyes narrowed but the expression quickly left as it came.

"O-Okay, but don't do it again." He saw Yamamoto nod in agreement, but he was still tense when he heard his name on Yamamoto's lips. He felt as if hell was going to come after him one way or another. He shook it off like he did with Sawada and resumed teaching. He could not relax when no one dared to talk. After all, it was uncommon for Yamamoto to accuse someone.

* * *

Tsuna had no idea where his feet were leading him but somehow he ended right in front of the infirmary door, the one place he did not want to go to. Well, the doctor was known to only treat females and even if he was an exception, it was likely that he would be kicked out. Despite the disgusting urge of wanting to go back and sit in his seat until school ended, he was scared that Yanagi would ambush him with yells, exclaiming why the boy left. If Tsuna had shown him his notebook filled with death threats directed at the teacher, then he would have been sent directly to the principal and earning a phone call home to his mother in the process. Right now, he needed some place to himself and he knew that he could not go to the roof since Hibari was likely to be sleeping there.

Before Tsuna could knock on the infirmary door to inform of his intrusion, he froze when he heard footsteps coming nearer to where he was. He was scared stiff at the spot, since the person was also likely to be Hibari. He slowly turned his head around and saw the red badge. His brown eyes widened once he confirmed it was Hibari.

It was definitely Hibari and he did not exactly look happy or indifferent like usual. The scowl on his face was a bad sign for Tsuna.

Seeing it was the person he did not want to see, Tsuna accidentally ran into the infirmary door. Rubbing his nose in haste, he slid the door open and ran to the closest thing to hide underneath. Who would have known it was the doctor's desk?

Before the person occupying the room could react, Hibari had entered the room. "Did Sawada Tsunayoshi happen to enter the room?" If only Tsuna could turn around, there was a stern look on Hibari's face, masking the concern he had for the younger male. Also, if Tsuna had removed his hands from his ears, he may have heard the worry laced in with the malice the older boy had in his voice.

Shamal looked at where Tsuna was hiding, who was looking at him with pleading eyes to not say anything. The dark brunette sighed and then shrugged at Hibari. "Even if he came in here, do you think I would allow him to stay?" He looked at the perfect with a lazy gaze. "Sure, there are times when the kid would come in since he falls over and gets beat up. But it's class time right now, so I don't think anyone would try to hurt the kiddo in front of a teacher."

Hibari glared at Shamal before eyeing the man's desk. He thought he had seen Tsuna come in here. A small speck of brown caught the attention of his eyes or was that his hopeful thinking? Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him… He scowled once again. If his eyes were playing tricks on him, then he would have to pay that illusionist a small visit. "Okay. I'll be taking my leave then. Have a good day, Sensei." Giving up, Hibari left with a single bow.

"Sure will." Shamal chuckled as the perfect left the room and went over to close the door to the entrance. He stopped once he turned around and walked over his desk. He bent over his desk and stuck out a hand for Tsuna to take. "Tsunayoshi, you can come out now."

Tsuna hesitantly grabbed the older man's hand, which lifted him up. Once he released his hold on Shamal's hand, he slowly walked over to one of the infirmary beds. However, luck was not with him as he tripped and fell on his face on the floor, making Shamal wince.

He was honestly tired. The entire weekend he could feel his mom watching his back as she snuck in a roll of new bandages each day into his room. Just this morning, he yelled at his friend and did not how to apologize to him since Hibari was not exactly a forgiving person. Especially, that incident with Yanagi just made him want to shove something up that man's ass. If only that man knew how many times Tsuna had question himself about that. If only that man heard his mother's answer when he asked his mother that for the first time…

Shamal sighed as he lifted the dead-weight child in his arms and placed him on the bed. After placing a blanket over him, Shamal walked over the window.

Tsuna slowly shifted into a fetal position. It looked as though he was trying to protect himself. Slowly, his muscles relaxed and his senses allowed him to sleep. He could feel his heartbeat slowly returning to its normal pace as a cool breeze washed over him, whispering him to sleep.

The child was definitely a problem he could ignore, but in the end, he could not. Shamal knew that he could always question the boy later as to why he was here. He looked out the open window and sighed once again as cool air entered the stuffy room. He could use something to smoke right now, but that would endanger the boy's health. Shamal walked over to his desk and plotted himself into the spinning chair. He eyed his magazines sitting on his desk, waiting to be opened. But he had no mood for them as he pushed them aside into a secret compartment within his drawer. Shamal looked down at his hands and he spun around his chair like a child. "I guess he's my exception to the _girls only_ rule."

* * *

**Authors' Notes:**

Ah, this went into different direction than we originally thought. If anyone is wondering how come there has not been any action, but just character interaction and pasts, it's because we want to create some character development. We don't want to make any of the characters as objects that can just be tossed to the side and be reused whenever we like it. Though are times when we would do that, since they'll be used to push a character into a certain direction, like Yanagi in this chapter. Also, this story does not not have shounen-ai despite all the signs. We focus on one character and then move onto the next. That way, we can introduce the character one at a time without pushing it too much since it might make the characters seem OOC.

Like always, setting the rising action and exposition are hard to write. We hope we met your expectations. Tell us what you think. Even if it's something small, your reviews keep pushing us forward to write more. Before we forget, thank you for the past reviews.


	4. Doubts & Irritation

The room was shaped like a rectangular prism with no windows. It was made that way so no one could get close or harm his boss from the outside. There was a simple couch to the side with a bookcase on the opposite side of the room. The room was just made to be simplistic and his boss liked it that way. The boss did not want to feel so enveloped in having so much power that he would lose sight of what is in front of him.

Now, it was just him and his boss in the room. One stood while the other sat. He stood in front of his boss, eyes cast slightly downward. His hands were in front of him, held together tightly. He could feel the moisture building up in his hands. He was nervous. His head was down, not knowing what to do in a situation like this. He had hoped that this day would not come. Then again, it was his wishful thinking. Today was the day, huh… He let out a sad chuckle. "What am I going to do now...?"

His boss looked at him with sympathetic eyes. He too did not want this day to come. He had seen the man's son as his own grandson despite not being related by blood. Sadly, it had to happen. He was no longer young like he was in the past and well past his prime years. The old man waited until the chuckle died before motioning his subordinate to sit. "Please sit down, Iemitsu. I know that this issue greatly affects you."

The tall Japanese Italian looked up with droopy tired eyes. A small sad smile appeared on his lips. "Okay…" He plotted himself on the chair, relaxing himself in an improper position. He guessed his boss would not mind, not after the few drinks they had last night to drown out their pent up emotions. His eyes were slightly bloodshot from all the drinking and swelled due to all the crying. What if he cried? He was a still human so he will cry whenever he wants. Lastly, his body felt sluggish. He was happy though, since Vongola Nono allowed him to come in his office slightly sober. It helped, a lot. "So… Have you decided?"

"After much thinking, I have decided that he will become a potential candidate for the title of Vongola Decimo." He noticed the tall blonde had suddenly tensed but continued on. "Despite his slow development over the years due to a certain incident, he still has time to grow. Personally, I'm getting the feeling that he would change something but that is only if he accepts and is chosen for the position."

Iemitsu opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it. He will voice his opinions later. For now, he will let Vongola Nono finish.

"Before you start saying anything, remember this. You child has the flame of the Sky. Your child also has the blood of Vongola Primo pumping through his veins. These two factors automatically make him a candidate to be the heir of the Vongola Decimo title."

Iemitsu clenched his fists together. His mouth tightened into a thin line. Before he could erupt, he let out a big sigh to calm himself down. He was tired but he sat up properly in the seat. He groaned as a migraine entered his head, making him rub his temples. Looking down, he asked the one question that both made them uneasy. "What… What if he doesn't have the resolve?"

Vongola Nono nodded as he leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. "Like I previously said, he is a potential candidate. It does not mean he will inherit the title. It's just possible. When the time comes to that, then it will be up to him if he wants to take the spot."

Iemitsu heaved himself up from the chair. He had enough. There was so many things running through his head and he was just getting dizzy from it. Like how was Nana going to react when she finds out? How was Tsuna going to react upon reentering the Mafia world? Shaking his head, he slowly knelt on one leg in respect to his boss. "I'll be taking my leave now, Vongola Nono."

The old man nodded and allowed the younger male to go.

Iemitsu was almost out the door. His hand was hovering above the golden door knob. Not turning around, his eyes narrowed as he pushed the door open. "Those two can come back, you know… Their bodies were never found so I can infer that they're still out there somewhere." Before his boss could stop him, he was already out the door and down the hall.

The old man's muscles were suddenly tensed. Iemitsu was right. Those two were never found. And if they ever made contact with Tsunayoshi, then the child could easily be a puppet in their hands. His intuition, however, told him not to worry. Everything would work out in the end, somehow.

* * *

He soon found himself staring at the ceiling once again. He had to stop doing that. He had been doing that a lot lately. Looking back to his desk, he scanned Tsunayoshi's file once again. It was relatively small. It consisted of what the child had been up ever since he was born and how others thought of him. Some comments were not that great… Despite its small size, it came with a slightly larger folder. One that held information about his involvement in that experiment and not many people remember of the incident which was a good thing and at the same time, it was not.

The incident had left such a mark in that boy's mind and body. Getting over a traumatic matter that occurred when he was young was not easy, especially when his mind was registering what happened around him. It took time and maybe Tsunayoshi needed a push to accept the incident. Sawada Nana had done a remarkable job when Tsunayoshi was placed in her care. At first, it was a bad idea since Nana was not exactly herself when Tsunayoshi was returned to her. He had heard from Iemitsu that it was the first time Nana had regretted giving birth to Tsunayoshi for the first time. Luckily, it was her last time.

"Vongola Nono, Reborn is here. Do you want me to send him in?"

"Please send him in." The old man hastily stuffed the large folder back into his desk. That information was confidential. Reborn would have to learn what happened in the past from Tsunayoshi himself. The child had personally asked him to not tell anyone of his involvement. If he hand it away to Reborn, then he would be betraying Tsunayoshi's trust and that would not be good.

"Timoteo, you called for me?" The door was slowly swung open, revealing the silhouette of a small baby. He wore a black fedora with a small orange stripe. Along the rim of the hat was a green chameleon. The rest was a simple black suit with a yellow pacifier wrapped around his neck. He knelt in front of Vongola Nono and then placed himself in a seat. "This better be good. I was in the middle of training."

Timoteo smiled. "How is that child? Actually, I want you to do something for me."

Reborn's eyes narrowed but he replied. "He's clumsy but it's going along fine. What do you want me to do?"

Timoteo slid a thin folder toward Reborn on his desk. "I finally decided on a potential heir."

"Potential? Then why do you want me to train him?" Reborn was rather puzzled by his old friend.

"Considering how he is, he is a potential candidate. However, it is likely though that he is going to become Vongola Decimo."

"Are you sure?"

Timoteo chuckled at his friend's rare concern. "Yes, I'm well past my years. I can't stay young forever, you know."

"Okay." Reborn jumped off his chair and approach the desk to retrieve the files. His eyes scanned the first page and looked up at Timoteo in confusion. "I don't think I have seen a more pathetic heir…"

"You made the Chiavarone child into a fine boss. I can't see why this would make Iemitsu's child any different."

Reborn chuckled darkly. His lips slowly formed a smirk. "You really know how to give me a challenge, Nono."

Timoteo gave a hearty laugh. "Just try not to mess with the child too much, okay?"

Reborn jumped off the chair with the file under his arm and headed toward the door. "We'll see about that. Anyway, it looks like I can use anything to shape him up. Am I correct?"

Timoteo nodded. "Additionally, do not intervene with his training unless he's in a severe danger." He paused contemplating whether to warn Reborn on not. He shook his head and motioned Reborn was allowed to leave.

Reborn was still puzzled by Timoteo's actions but nodded as he closed the door behind him.

A heavy sigh came out of Vongola Nono. "He's more fragile than you think..."

* * *

"Yo, Reborn!" The sound of footsteps clattering against the tiled floor as it got near the baby hitman.

Reborn turned around with his gun in hand; ready to shoot the airhead that dared to get near him.

"Whoa, Reborn. I don't think Nono would want blood here unless there's an invasion." His hands were up in the air.

"Iemitsu, stop saying those kinds of things. You're going to jinx it."

Iemitsu nervously laughed as one hand scratched the back of his neck. "Hahaha…" His face scrunched up, one that was similar to the one Reborn saw on Nono's face just now.

"Spit it out or I'll shoot it out."

"Mind if I ride with you to the airport?" His eyes were abnormally red. Was he crying or something?

"I guess Nono told you about your son." He turned around and resumed walking. His gun went back to its original shape.

"Yup. I figured I needed to get some air and then return. You know, blow off some steam."

"I don't mind. Try not to annoy me though."

"Looks like there's something irritating you."

"Don't push it." Reborn kept walking. There was something that was bugging him and he did not like the feeling. It all started when he entered the Vongola HQ. It only increased when he left Timoteo's office. Something told him to keep his guard up and with Iemitsu here, he was starting to click his gun a lot faster than usual. For his nerves to be tossed around like that was not good for him.

Iemitsu quietly chuckled to himself as he followed Reborn out the door and into the cab next to the infant.

The cab exited the Vongola HQ and was headed toward the Rome International Airlines. It happened to be the airline that was closest to them that had a special section for them since they carried weapons. The cab ride was silent. Barely any sound was made except for the sound of breathing and the car. Reborn would look up at Iemitsu every now and then, just to see the man in deep thinking. Reborn sighed and slowly nodded off to sleep.

Iemitsu looked down and smile when he saw Reborn fall asleep. He then looked outside the window. His eyes narrowed as he started thinking again.

The little hitman was going to need his sleep. Tsuna was someone who rarely handed out his trust, considering the few friends he made. It had taken his wife a whole year to crack that wall. Still, Tsuna was mentally unstable. There was one thing that bothered him though. If Reborn ever leaked his killing intent, then… Iemitsu shook his head. Tsuna should be able to control himself now. It's been over four years since he had an "accident."

Iemitsu blinked a couple times, registering that they were at the airport. Hesitantly, he tried nudging Reborn awake, only to have the baby aim a gun at his face. With his hands up in the air, a sign of surrender out of fear, Iemitsu nervously spoke. "W-We're at the airport, Reborn." He pointed out the window.

Reborn quickly muttered an apology and came out of the cab after Iemitsu. "Are you going to follow me until I get on the plane?" They both walked in the airport through the sliding doors, only to meet the sight of people bustling about.

"Yup. I don't want to come back and report that our best hitman got trampled over." He chuckled as a swift kick was aimed at the side of his body. He fell over, laughing nervously once again. Rubbing his side, he cast his eyes to side, not wanting to meet Reborn's glare. "Haha… I need to stop mocking you."

"Tch. Keep mocking me and we'll see what happens to that mouth of yours." Reborn jumped onto Iemitsu's shoulder as the man got up and dusted himself. The infant went through the procedures and waited near his terminal gate along with Iemitsu. After finding a place to sit, Reborn decided to speak up. "Stop tensing up. You're going to get more wrinkles."

Iemitsu chuckled. "I can't help it. You're going to be teaching my boy and considering that nasty sadistic streak in you…"

Reborn smirked. "Ha, you should be worrying once I'm done with him." Reborn noticed that Iemitsu was being surprisingly quiet.

Iemitsu found himself frowning. Was it wrong to let Reborn teach Tsuna? No, it was not. It was actually better if Reborn taught him. Nothing could actually go wrong except for a repeat of what happened… He shook his head. No, Tsuna would have to learn to control himself and Reborn would be there to help him.

"Oi, Iemitsu. Are you even listening to me?"

Iemitsu looked down and noticed Reborn was about to smack him across the face with his passport. "Whoa! Don't smack me. I want still want to keep this face of mine."

Reborn eyes the man before putting his passport back into his pocket. "Is there something I need to know about your son that you're hiding from me? Ever since we left Headquarters, you have this look on your face and it's bugging me. It's not you."

Iemitsy chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "Even if I wanted to tell you, that boy of mine would probably kill me before you got to me."

Reborn noticed the unintentional warning and looked at the man oddly. "If that's what you want."

Iemitsu noticed that the gears in Reborn's mind were turning since the infant's eyebrows were knit with suspicions. It would best to leave now. "So, it looks like I head back. Don't want Lal Mirch to start yelling at me when I get back for ignoring my duties." He started to walk away but stopped. "Ne, Reborn… Ah, never mind…" His voice trailed off once he realized that Reborn would definitely be suspicious if he asked the infant to say hi to his son. First of all, Reborn was in the Mafia. And if Reborn said hi to him, Tsuna would know that his father was in the Mafia. So if Tsuna took it as something normal and he was suppose to know that he was involved with the Mafia… Then it would be a big problem, a really big one.

"What did you want to say? I don't have a lot time since my plane is about to leave."

Iemitsu made a click with his tongue. "Tell… Tell Shamal that I said hi." He then hurried off with a single wave. He soon left the premises before Reborn could question him.

Reborn looked at the man who just left him. "Sure, why not… When did I turn into a messenger boy...?" People would have laughed at Reborn's deadpanned expression, but they were afraid of the realistic looking gun in his hand.

* * *

Once Iemitsu got out of the airport and into the cab, he immediately called Lal Mirch.

"Hello."

"Lal Mirch, is that you?"

"Iemitsu! Where have you been? You know what happens when you leave, you air–"

"I know. I know. I need you to e-mail a message to Shamal for me."

"Why?" Her voice soon became irritated. She was not exactly on good terms with the assassin doctor.

"It's about Tsuna."

There was silence on the other line. "Fine. What do you want to tell him?"

"Reborn is coming."

* * *

Shamal suddenly sneezed multiple times. He took a tissue from its container and wiped his nose. Someone was talking about him and he was not getting a good vibe from it. A sound rung from his computer, signaling to him that an e-mail had arrived. As he sat in his chair, he looked out the corner of his eyes. Tsuna was still asleep as he tugged at thin blanket.

Brown eyes scanned the one line e-mail more than once. His mouth dropped. This could not be happening…

* * *

**Authors' Note:**

This chapter was bad. The words just sound confusing together... Maybe it's because we're trying to deliver a straightforward serious atmosphere with some comedy in the end... Ugh, maybe it's best if we write how we usually write: pessimistic and dark with some light stuff in between.

Thank you for reviewing. Please continue to do so.


	5. Fun for the Tutor,  Not for the Student

He whipped his head around once more. Brown eyes scanned the empty street. The frustrated teen ran his fingers through his hair in stress. Someone was following him, but who? He had this annoying feeling ever since he woke up. He could not even go the bathroom in the comfort of his own home! Since someone was watching him, it made him think. Was someone stalking him? He could think of two types of peoples. He shuddered at second type. Who on Earth would want stalk him? Someone who liked to see him be pathetic, that is who. It was more likely someone who had a sadistic nature, enjoying the pains of others.

Tsuna was usually twitchy around people who were out to hurt him and right now, he was definitely feeling twitchy and jumpy. But there was no one around him! What the hell? It could not been a ghost… "Calm down, Tsuna. Ghosts can't exist during the daytime…" He shook his head to rid of his nervousness. He then took deep breaths to calm down his nerves. His hand dug into his school bag in haste and brought out an inhaler. Using the medical device, he sighed as he took it out of his mouth. That was one panic attack he avoided.

After calming down, his legs resumed their walk to the school. However, he still did not feel safe. He really did not like it when people followed him. It just made him extra jumpy and cautious. There was also the chance of freaking out more easily. He jumped at the sound of a broken branch. He turned around with his eyes shut and started shouting. "What the hell do you want from me? If you're a ghost, then I'm extremely sorry! Just stop following me!" He was on the verge of tears.

At the corner of his eyes, he spotted the school and made a mad dash for it. He ignored all the looks his classmates on him as he ran by. Even if he had to hide in this forsaken place, he will.

* * *

"Was that Sawada-san just now?" Her vision was blurred due to the sudden dust storm that flew past her. Her hand had covered her eyes so she did not see the person who ran by. Kyoko look up at her friend.

Her friend nodded. "Yup, the midget must be running away from someone again. Based on how fast he was running, he must have made this person pretty angry." Kurokawa Hana looked at the path the frightened boy just left. She sighed as she tried to untangle the few newly made knots in her slight wavy raven locks of hair. "Why? Are you worried about him?"

Kyoko shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I feel sad for him." Sighing, she began walking to the entrance of the school building with Hana trailing behind her.

"Doesn't everyone…" Hana rolled her eyes when she entered the building. Dame-Tsuna was on the floor due to the step he tripped on. That must have been some fall. She watched as her friend hastily ran over and tried to help the boy up. To her surprise, the boy tried to push Kyoko away. Hana smiled to herself. "Well, look at this. Dame-Tsuna is not enchanted by Kyoko." This could be interesting, just maybe.

* * *

The infant raised an eyebrow at how fast Tsuna ran. "I got to admit. He's pretty fast for a normal person." If the boy was not so clumsy, then he would have been able to make it on his school's track team. His speed was something not a lot of people could keep up. Yet, that ability of his was only developed after running away from his many bullies.

He jotted quick notes into his small notepad. _Medical condition: likely to be asthma due to use of what seems to be prescribed inhaler._ Stuffing the notepad away, he allowed his binoculars and continued to spy on the boy. He had been analyzing the Vongola candidate the whole morning and there were not a lot of good things he could say except for the boy's speed and few other things.

The boy was stupid. The boy was clumsy. The boy was pathetic. The boy was like a walking magnet for bullies and the list goes on and on. There was that one thing that annoyed him about the boy. He was surprisingly twitchy and jumpy. Right now, the boy had a few things that could get him out of hurdles in the Mafia: his speed and his facial features. His face would probably make his enemies second guess themselves but nothing more. Was Nono on something when he chose his heir…?

There also one quality about the boy that irked him. Tsuna would turn around every time he would make a move to get nearer to the boy. He had first thought the boy had sensed him but seeing how the boy react made him think again. It was probably a sixth sense to the boy to detect bullies. That might come in handy later.

As the both of them got close to the school, Reborn decided to leak some of his killing intent. But before he could do so, Tsuna was shouting some nonsense and then running away at the speed of light. Seeing the boy was scared senseless made Reborn want to laugh. Oh, this boy was going to be fun to tutor. A smirk graced upon his lips as he whistled. This was going to be fun alright.

* * *

**Authors' Notes:**

We decided to post shorter chapters. It kind of works better for us that way since the chapter flowed a lot better than the previous chapter.

Thank you for reading.


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